Newbury shoplifter gets second suspended sentence

Magistrates declined to activate the first

Sun, 11 Sept 2016

Reporter:

John Garvey

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A NEWBURY man has been given a second, suspended prison sentence for shoplifting and other offences.

Lee Alan Abery, aged 29, of Skyllings, was already subject to a suspended jail term when he was convicted of stealing meat worth £44.60 from Marks and Spencer in Northbrook Street, Newbury, on July 19.

He was further convicted of obstructing or resisting a police officer in Victoria Park, Newbury, on the same date and of committing further offences while subject to a suspended sentence order.

However, Reading magistrates decided not to activate the sentence when sentencing him on August 22.

Instead they imposed another suspended prison sentence – this time one of four months’ imprisonment, suspended for six months.

In addition Mr Abery was ordered to pay £44.60 compensation with £85 costs plus a statutory surcharge of £115.

Not really that controversial, a suspended sentence I would have thought is to give extra motivation to behave, having it activated for something you did before you got the suspended sentence would hardly make sense.

Because it's more complicated than that Tommy. Prison is really expensive on us the tax payers, and the on-going costs after release are massive as well as most employers won't touch ex-cons. Personally I shoplift as much as I want which is zero. I suspect Mr Abery's reasons for shoplifting are deeper than being work shy and the reason for not locking him up are deeper than the courts being soft.